Self-propelling combined harvester, agricultural engine, and truck.



F. L. KINCAID & H. T. PEBBLE. SELF PROPELLING COMBINED HARVESTER, AGRICULTURAL ENGINE, AND TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1905. 900 ,389, Patented Oct. 6,1908.

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i KINGAID & H. T. PEBBLE. SELF PROPELLING COMBINED HARVESTER, AGRIGULTURAL; ENGINE, AND "RUSK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1905. 900,389, I Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

4 SHEETSSHEET Z.

WWI/55.55.- $1,215; T0R5.

F. L. K ING AID & H. T. PEBBLE. SELF PROPELLING COMBINED HARVESTER, AGRICULTURAL ENGINE, AND TRUCK.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 31, 1905. 900,389, Patented Oct. 6, 1908 4 sums-$112M a 82 W/T YESSESI //V|/ENTUR5.' I Z \7( amxww I a d-Hawai F. L. KINGAID & H. T. PEBBLE. SELF PROPELLING COMBINED HARVESTER, AGRICULTURAL ENGINE, AND TRUCK. APP-LIOATION FILED AUG. 31, 1905.

900,389, Patented 0011.6,1908.

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FRED L. KINGAID AND HENRY TURNER PREBLE, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

sELF-rnoPELLINa' COMBINED HARVESTER, AGRICULTURAL ENGINE, AND TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. e, 1908.

Application filed August 31, 1905. Serial No. 276,627.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED L. KINCAID and 'HENRY T. PREBLE, citizens of the ,United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented a new and useful Self-Propelling Combined Harvester, Truck, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accom panying drawings.

' This Invention aims to provide an improved agricultural implement or apparatus embodyin 'an ap ropriate collection of instrumenta ities, w rich by judicious addition or subtraction can be advantageously combined with one another in several ways for the performance of general work on a farm, so that the same may be availed of in season for accomplishing one or two or more of an indefinite number of useful purposes.

Thus, one object of our invention is to (provide a locomotory vehicle that can be use for drawing the tilling and seeding machinery across the field or for hauling the crop to market or for transportation generally.

Another object is to'make the same implement convertible into a harvester or combined header and thresher, by the addition of suitable machinery.

Another object is to equip the apparatus with two engines operable singly or together,

in such a way that one can be utilized for traction or propulsion, and the other for op erating the harvester, or the two may be joined and become available both for traction.

Another object is to utilize the cylinder of the thrc sher as a fiy-wheel for both of these cngincs, or for both of them' when coupled.

Another object is to adapt one or more of the fans of the ,tlnesher for cooling the water used in connection with the engines.

With these and other objects and advantages, all of which will be quickly perceived, the invention consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a left-hand side elevation of a practicall complete machine, illustrating one embodimcnt of our invention, which in this instance includes a combined header and thresher. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same, without the thrcsher, and with only part of the header (shown in dotted lines to indicate that it also is removable). Fig. 3'is alight-hand side view, showing the invention-without either Agricultural Engine, and,

j. the header or thresher and adapted; for use as a truck, with sides boarded up. Fig. 4.. is an enlarged cross section on the line 4-4 of ing omitted to avoid confusion. Fig. 5 is a partly-broken rear elevation of the watercooling contrivance, which also is shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same. Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views of different means for varying the position of the main wheels of the truck vertically with relation to its bed or frame, to adapt the machine for use on hillsides or upon uneven ground.

In constructing a machine'in accordance with our invention a frame is formed from two main sills or timbers, both designated by the numeral 1, and auxiliary side sills 2, which are held in position by a suitable number of cross pieces, as 3. This frame is mounted at its rear end upon two wheels 4, which are .the main bearing wheels and are placed between the said sills, one on each. side; and at its forward end the said frame rests on a single wheel 5, which is arranged to revolve in a turn-table 6, so that it can be veered to guide the machine in the desired direction. Upon the same frame, forwardly,

. are located a few parts of the thresher, which.

on account of their constant scrviceablencss we prefer to keep and use as fixtures or permanent arts of the machine, and which include a feeder-house 7; a threshing cylinder 8 at the rear end thereof; a cleaner-fan 9 above the said cylinder; and a latform 10 for the sack-sewer, on the left of the feederhousc. From this house rearward extends another platform 11, which is laid centrally and constitutes the bed (or princi al portion of the bed) of the truck com rise in the in-- ventio'n. The drivcfsseat i2) is placed on top of the feeder-house, at its forward end,- and a combination seat and tool-box 13 is likewise provided forward for the use and convenience of thcsack-sewcr, down on the platform 10. The elements thus far enumerated make up the truck and part of its equipment.

Two motors or engines 14 and 15 are mounted upon the aforesaid truck-frame, one by each side of the feeder-house, at its rear end. These may be of any suitable gasolene-engines will be preferred for general work, andtherefore we have shown gasolcneengines in the accompanying drawings. The

Fig. 3, looking forward, some of the parts be.-

type, though we believe that in most cases plying their boilers if steam rnain sills of the truck-frame. From the tank 18, the water is conveyed by pipes 20 to the jackets of the engines and circulated therethrough with the aid of a pump 21, and thence is forced .up through pipes 22 into radiators or coolers 23, and out of the latter back into the water-tank through returnpipesQA. See Figs. 1, 3 and 4. One radiator 23 is placed in each end of a circular casward in l igs. l, .2 and 3,

ing 25, which is the casing of the cleaner-fan and is located adjacent to the-rear of the top of the feeder-house. Each of these radiators consists, as detailed in Figs. 5 and 6, of a stench drum whose heads are perforated and joined by several concentric series of short tubes 26, passing through opp osite periorar tions and tightly fitted therein toleave the drum water-tight. The tubes all he parallel with the longitudinal axis of the casing 25, and as their res ective drums are made to. close the ends o the said casing they there fore constitute the air-inlets to thefan within. This fan, as is well known, is a rotary fan and is employed with the View of furnishing wind 7 in suilicientquantities to clean the grain as it is. run through various sieves in the cleaner of the threshing apparatus. The location of the cleaner is indicated by the referencenumeral 27 in Fig. 1. Now it is apparent, since all the air which the fan can draw must first pass through the aggregate of tubes 26 and the fan keeps up a constant blast, that these tubes are maintained in a chilly atmosphere, which 0 crates to cool the water-circulatin arounil them in the drums and to cause me same to return to the water-tank and again to the engines at a corresponding low temperature. The outlet of the fan or an-casing has been shown as directed rcarwhich is its normal position for discharging the blast into the cleaner, but it is not intended that the casing of the fan should be immovable'and conscqucntly when the cleaner is removed the out let may be turned in. any other suitable diroction, as the dotted lines in Fig. 2-; sulliciontly indicate.

()ur invention contemplates the use of any suitable ty )o' of throshor (or separator as the same is otherwise called), either iiidopondently of or in conjunction with the grain cutiing apparatus, as may be preferred. VVo have shown in the drawings lhc form of eooQsse thresher that is ordinarily combined with a header and employed in sections of the country, as in. California and other States of the Pacific coast, where the grain can be threshed immediately after it is cut, and in fact is run directly from the cutting into the threshing apparatus. Besides the. several parts hcreinbefore mentioned and referred to either as removable or n onremovable from the truck, this form of thresher comprises all the usual appliances for taking care dividing and liberating it from the straw andchafi. Among the latter, for instance, are included the grain-carrier, grain-elevator, return-elevator, grain-box, and fans (other than the previously-mentioned cleaner-fan) respectively located a528, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and as, Fig. 1, to which e have added an extra conveyeror straw-carrier 35 and an extra fan 36, in the rear end of the se arator. The conveyer 35 has diverting boar s 37 for changing the direction of the wind from the fan 36, and taken in connection with this fan constitutes an additional separating device. All the fans but the cleaner-fan 9,1t will be observed, are removed with the main por- 'and disposing of the grain proper,'as well as tion of-the ,thi'esher or separator, and this is our reason'forassociating the cleanerdan with the above-described radiators, though no limitation of our-invention is intended in this respect It is evident that any of the four other fans could be utilized in combination with the radiators, only the cleaner-fan being in the most favorable position to be detached from the body ol the threshor and permanently remain on the .truck is better suited to the purpose.

Any desirable form of header or other grain-cutting apparatus is meant lo be in eluded 1n our improved 1nacl\ -ine, and the same may be used singly or in combination, as is the case with the threshcr. ()ur invention provides both a cutting apparatus and o. threshing apparatus, for use either alone or combined. As the header may be of ordinary construction, it is only partly shown in the accompanying drawings, 11. side view of it being soon in Fig. 1, and a partial plan in dollcd lincs in Fig. 3. ll. comprises an s r-frame 3S, connccted at its basc with the right sill 3 ol' the truck by means of hinges Iii) and il), and rcsling at its apex on a supiorting wheel 41,. ilaccd ap n'oximalcly in line with the main bearing wheels 4. From this Al'ramo forwardly is suspended, also by suitable hinges, a cidlcr-l'ramc 412, which is balanced in lhc known manncr'so that it can be kept at the dcsirod height, and in which runs a drapor 43, that carries the cut grain up a spout 4-4, into the l'ocdcr-housc 7. 'lhc frame 42 is providcd with the usual sicklebar 4:").

(if the two engines hcrcinbchno mcntionod, lhc one on tho left, 14, is cmploycd lliU seer area tats cosr for operating the cutting, threshing, and related devices, and that on the right, 15,-for

moving the machine as a whole, forward or backward; and, as previously stated, both engines are capable of being coupled for traction urposes.

With t e engine l tis connected the cylin der 8 of' the threshing apparatus, the. shaft of which is a continuation of the shaft 47 of this engine (Figs; 2 and 4), inder, as is well known, must be quite heavy, properly balanced, and always running at --'g speed.

apposite com ination, in that the power is directly applied from the engine to the threshing cylinder, and in turn the threshing cylinder cqualizes the motion of the engine by acting as a fly-wheel to the same, I It is Aft believed to be anentirely novel feature of our invention'to thus combine one engine or,

if coupled, the two engines with the threshing cylinder, by placing them in direct line, substantially as shown, and joining and working them together, so that they become valuable accessories or associates of one another, andthe additional weight and cost of at least one fly-wheel are dispensed. with.

The cleaner-fan 9; and the pump 21 are also permanently and operative y connected with the-engine 14, the former by'mcansof sprocketwheels 48, 49, and a sprocket-chain 50,

and the latter-through the medium of an cecentric 51, a collar or strap 52,. and it connectiimg-rod 53. (Figs. 1, 2 and (i). The cleaning separating devices, other than the cylinder 8 and fan 9, are driven from the same engine, but through the agenc T of a pinion 54, looseliy mounted on the shaft 47, which pinion iscontrolled by a clutch 55,. and meshes with a gear-wheel- 56, on a countcrshaft 57.

The shaft 57 connects with rear shafting 58, by means of sprocket-wheels 59, 60, and a sprocket-chain 6]., and thence are run the cleaning and separating devices, through thecustomary bclt-gearing (part of which is shown in Fig. 1). The sicklwbar or the cutting apparatus is likewise actuated from the engine 14, through approved connections, in-

eluding bevel-gears 62, 63, a line of shafts 64;, 6,5, 66, united by innvcrsal oints 67, 61s, a

, rotary-disk 69, and awrist-pin 70 (Figs. 1 and 2). ()thcr connections, familiar to persons conversant with the art to which our- The threshing cyl Its coupling therefdre with the engine, by a ositivc connection, makes an also the rear sprocket-wheel and chain 61, when transforming the harvester into a ever, and utilized to operate. a broadcast seed sower or for other purposes.

Connection between the bearing wheels 4 ward or backward, is made as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, to wit: A pinion 72 is mounted loosely on the shaft 7 3 of the engine 15, and this pinion is adapted to be driven at variable speeds in relation to the shaft 73 by planctary gearing and clutches, such as are indicated at 74 and 75, for instance. The same pinion is also adapted to mesh with equalizmg gears 76, provuled on the adjoining ends of a pai of countershafts 77 and 7 8, mounted rearwardly of the engine-shaft 73, about on a level therewith. Under these countershafts are other shafts 79 and 80, respectively connected with them by means of gear-wheels 81, 82, 83 and 84, and the last named shafts carry in addition small sprocket-wheels 85 and 86, one on each. Larger sprocketwheels 87 and 88 are provided on one side of each of the bearing-wheels 4, directly in line ;with the sprocket-wheels 85 and 86,. and sprocket-chains 89 and 90 are respectively I passed around the alined sprocket-wheels, namely, 89 around 85 and 87, and 90 around '86 and 88, whereby the saidbearing wheels are given a positive motion in either direction. This arrangement, it will be observed, admits of the two bearing wheels being actuated from asinglc or uniform source of power while they may revolve at different rates ofspecd, as in moving in other than a straight line. The engine 15 is furnished with the usual flywhecl 91, to assist it in maintaining the proper regularity of speed when used alone for purposes of traction, that is to say, when disconnected from thc engine i l and thc thereto attached threshing cylinder 8. A clutch 92 (Figs. 2 and 4) is provided. to couple the two said cngincs,'wl'\eu it is desirablc that they should run as one, for instance, when hauling heavy loads. The

placcdv on the abutting ends of the shafts 47 and 73, and arriuigcd for operation in the usuul manucr so that the engines may be conncctc-d or discouuccuwl at will. Either engine may be started by means of a crank 93, shown in Fig. 2 being applied to the shaft t7. -W hen the engines have been started, and the'propcr speed has been developed, it is an easy matter to place the op-- crativc parts of the machine each in clutch with the working pinion ofjts respective cutting apparatus bymeans of the clutch. 55, and thc traction mechanism, either forward or backward, by means of the clutch bands on the planetary gears 74. The several mechanisms, it is understood, could all be cngine,- that is to say, the threshing and truck. The shafting may be kept on, howand the engine 15, to move the machine formembers of this clutch are respectively,

; driven by or from a single engine of adequate size, but we prefer using two engines, because less cumbersome and of greaterconvenience in manipulation, besides affording a distinct advantage in the distribution of weight andstrain on the frame of the machine. Vi e also prefer locating these engines in the places which we have assigned to them, that is, by the sides (or ends) of the threshing cylinder, while we place the bearing wheels further back than is usual from the latter, as by so doing we gain, among other advantages, ama'rked preponderance of weight forward (about 25%), which is beneficial in that it prevents the machine from tipping up in front and renders it much safer to operate on that account, particularly on upwardlytrending surfaces. i We may use any suitable mechanical meansfor turning lthe forward wheel 5, in order to guide the machine in the .desired direction. One such means is illustrated in 1 Figs. 1', 2 and 3, wherein a pinion 94, keyed to the lower end of a vertical shaft 95, is shown as engaging gear teeth 96 on the turntable 6, within which the said wheel is mounted. The shaft 95 projects upwardly i in front of the drivers seat 12 and carries on its upper end a hand-wheel 97, by means of 0 which the driver can rotate it to the\;,rig'ht or left as may be required. Or an-y.con-

venient connection may be provided between the forward wheel and either engine wherewith the same will operate to steer the machine as needed. Upon the driver also properly devolves the duty of raising or lowering the cutter-frame of the header, to adjust it to the varying height of the grain. This he can conveniently accon-iplish by 40 \meansof a vertically-running rack-bar 08, engaged by a pinion Sit) on a shaft 100, which 's provided with a spoke-wheel 101, and is iinounted by the side of the seat 12, substantially as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The l owcr end of the rack-bar is suitably connected with the cutter-frame by a rod, as 1tp2, hinged to a diagonal tin'iber 103, rigidly secured to the said cutteidraiiie.

Where it is desired to have the machine adapted for use upon hillsides or uneven ground, the bearing wheels 4 are mounted or connected so that thcy'cun bc Hl-i\'((l in opposite directions in their respective vertical plai es independently of the main lramc,

' 5 while the latter will be kept in a plane parallel with the horizon. A common form of construction for this purpose is partly shown in Fig. 7, where 104- indicates a supplemental frame in which one of the bearing whecls is mountnl, instead of upon the sills of the main frame as represented in Fig. 2, and which supplemental frame is pivotnlly connected with the main frame at one end, in such a wayns to admit of being swung up or down with tln wheel therein, by means of any suitable type of raising and lowering mechanism. ihe driving connections for the beari'n wheel 1, in this construction, are substantia ly the same as were before described, with the addition of an intermediate shaft 105, carrying sprocket-wheels 106 and 107, one of which is driven'by a supple mental chain 108, and the other of which drives the chain 89. Fig. 8 partly illustrates another well-known construction for the same purpose, in which the bearing wheel 4 is loosely mounted on its axle 109, and the axle is journaled at each end on a'movable box 110, having peripheral gear-teeth and engaged on'opposite sides by a segmental rack 111 and a gear-wheel 112, through which the main franie of the machine is adjustably supported upon or from the bearin wheel. The geanwhecls 112 are actuate each by a pinion 113, keyed. to a shaft 114, which is rotated by suitable mechanism, including an internal gear 115 on the bearing wheel, and a shaft 116, having a pinion 117 in mesh with the said internal gear, and also carrying a sprocket-wheel 118 adapted to drive some intermediate shafting (not shown).

To adapt it for transporting grain or other produce, the truck part otthe machine is titted with side boards 119, as represented in Fig. 3, which boards are suitably fastened to stakes 120, inserted in staples 12]., shown in Fig. 2. But the truck may be used without eithpr the boards or the stakes, if preferred. The, truck is further provided with a draw bar 122, pivotally secured at its inner end to a rear timber, as at 123, and having at its outer end a clevis 124, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, for the pur )ose of hitching thereto other farming imp cments, such as gangplows, harrows, trailing wagons, and so on.

Besides its adaptability to hauling or transporting articles of a portable nature on, to, or from a farm, and its capability of use there as a cultivator, in the broadest sense of the term, or as a crop-gatherer, in the manner above described, it is manifest that our improved machine also has the capacity of performing work in stationary iositions, in or about farm buildings, where, l'or example, its power can be utilized for pumping water, sawing wood, grinding feed, and generally doing much ol' the work that falls to the lot of poo )lc engaged in agricultural pursuits.

ic :ibovc-descrilied machine can he successfully operated, in its most complete form as a traveling harvester, with three men, namely, a driver to guide the machine and raise and lower the cutting apparatus in accordance with the height ol the grain to be reaped, n. sa ol'c-smvor to take care of the grain as it is being thrcshcd and cleaned, and an enginccL-to look al'tcr the mechanical organism and supervise the work. in an cincrgenev, the driver orthe Htttlbfld't'fil, if otherwise competent to act, could discharge access chine would then be run by only two men.

The old style combined headers and threshers require a larger crew to man them, besides some thirty to thirty-six horses to draw them over the field, with relays of pro or tionate magnitude, and they can be use on an average but thirty days in the year. With a selfropelled harvester, convertible into a true etc., as herein described, it is no longer necessary to keep,'feed, care for, and

harness any such number; of horses on a single farm or ranch, andsome art or another of the machine, if not the who e, isea able of use every working day throughout 't 'e year.

The saving and gain are apparent. Irrespec-.

tive of its potential conversion into a locomotory vehicle, or other implement, and of the material reduction which it effects in running expenses, the mechanically-driven har vester is still preferable to the machine of the same class drawn by horses, to the extent that it does its work in a more uniform, thorough, and satisfactory manner. T 0 particularize, it is a distinct advantage in operating a harvester to be able to travel at various rates of speed according to the density or s arsity of the grain to be cut, while running di e threshing apparatus at a normal-unvarying speed; and at times to halt without stopping the thresher and at other times to back up, as in getting away from thick lodged grain that bunches onthe sickle or clogs the cutter. with our machine, but nothing of the sort can be done with a harvester drawn by horses, as

rovidcd in such a har there is no means vester for maintainln alter-in or regulating the respective velocities of the cutting and threshing devices independently of the traetive power and rate of motion of the 'machine, or for operating the thresher when the machine is standing still, or for reversing the harvester. I

We are aware that engineshave already been used for doing work on farms, such as winding ropes of power plows, operating sta tionary threshers, and the like. In all in- All of this is accomplished easily 'bar at the rear, and a couplin" stances that weknow of, however, the engine was separate from the implement or apparatus which it was employed to drive, so it Therefore ing, as the originators of the application of power to farm machinery, We belleve we have een the first to devise a self-contained farmling machine which carries its motive ower on its own frame, and which can bead ed to or taken from and made to serve in various capacities by simple transformation or meta.- morphosis from one formof implement or apparatus into another.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Amachine of the class described comrising a truck provided with a guide wheel 1n front-and bearing wheels at the rear, two motors mounted on the truck, means for (1011+ ne'eting either one or both of the motors with the bearing wheels, a threshing cylinder located upon the truck, and means operatively connecting the threshing cylinder with the motors. I v

2. A machine of the class described comprising a truck provided with a guide wheel in front and bearing wheels at the/rear, apropelling means, a feeder house at the forward end of said truck, a seat on top of the said feeder house, and steering .mechanism for said guide wheel located adjacent to sa d seat.

3 A machine-of the class described comprising a self movingtruck having a platform,

detachable elements carried thereby, a drawattached to the draw-bar, said bar and coupling lying un- 'der the detachable elements specified.

In testimony whereof We afhx our signatures .111 presence of .two witnesses.

, Fm L. KINOAIDI [as] HENRY TURNER PREBLE. [n 3.]

Witnesses: v

Anna P. GRUNSKY,

F. J. Dm'rmou. 

